ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mate — a friend
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. track — a song
  12. mine — for digging
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mate — to breed
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com